amaotonovel Chapter 1277 Attacking the Heart
Chapter 1277 Attacking the Heart
"Betrayal?" Xiao Ce shook his head slightly, his tone carrying a hint of mocking pity.
"No, he was just following Scar Wolf's orders. The orders of a sane Scar Wolf who wanted to survive with his brothers."
Scarface wasn't stupid; he was struck dumb!
He had already vaguely sensed something...
A bone-chilling cold shot straight from the soles of my feet to the top of my head!
Fear, despair, anger, the humiliation of being manipulated... all sorts of emotions churned wildly in Scar Wolf's heart like poison.
He felt as if his soul had been emptied out, leaving only an empty shell.
He had already considered the worst possible outcome.
At this moment, Xiao Ce had already guessed that Scarface had misunderstood something...
Seeing that Scarface was on the verge of collapse, Xiao Ce slowly spoke.
"As for your brothers... for now, they are doing well."
Scar Wolf suddenly looked up, a last glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes.
"Wang Shui is temporarily in charge of them. I have instructed him to restrain his subordinates, maintain order, eliminate potential threats, and keep a low profile."
Xiao Ce's tone was calm and even, yet it carried an undeniable sense of control!
“I gave him orders that no one may act without my written order or my personal presence, nor may he leave the ghost town to cause trouble, nor may he believe any new so-called instructions from God.”
Upon hearing Xiao Ce's words, Scarface looked at Xiao Ce with disbelief.
Looking at Scarface's expression, Xiao Ce then said to him, "Scarface, don't you believe me?"
Scarface said to Xiao Ce, "We oppose you, and even tried to take you away...Are you angry? Not only are you not angry, but you're even willing to let them go?"
Xiao Ce said to Scarface, "Because you don't acknowledge my identity, you think I'm a false god... so I killed you... and now I'm the false god you all talk about!"
Scarface listened, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
Xiao Ce continued speaking to Scarface, "I know that reforms will inevitably affect some people. However, everything I do is for the better development of our people..."
"You have eyes of your own; you can see... Whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, or vice versa... It's a very simple principle. If we had followed the old system, let alone the unified empire we have today..."
"When the Fusang Kingdom came, our country had already perished... You have eyes... If you just went and saw for yourself, you would know that I am right!"
"However, I'm saying all this not to gain your approval... I'm not doing this for myself... I'm doing it so that everyone can live a better life... In fact, ask yourselves honestly, if you followed my path, if you cooperated with me... you could also live a good life... But your inner obsessions have clouded your judgment..."
"Of course, I'm not saying this to gain your approval or anything!"
"I let them go because, although you are in the opposition, you haven't intentionally committed any heinous crimes. As for those you killed, I've already arrested the mastermind behind it all..."
Scarface fell silent, his expression growing increasingly complex...
"So..." Xiao Ce's voice suddenly turned cold!
"Their lives, their future, now rest in my hands. Will they continue to eke out a living in that dark, ghost town, waiting for some unknown 'God' to bestow their charity? Or... will they have the chance to see the light of day again, no longer burdened by the stigma of rebellion, and live like ordinary people? I'm willing to give you a choice..."
He crouched down, his gaze piercing, staring directly into Scar Wolf's bloodshot, conflicted eyes, and asked, word by word, "Now, tell me, Scar Wolf. Which path do you want them to choose? I'm willing to give you a chance, to give them a chance, entirely because you truly care about them..."
A deathly silence fell over the cell.
Only Scar Wolf's heavy, disordered breathing could be heard...
Scarface's heart felt like it had been plunged into boiling oil...
Xiao Ce's words were like a precise scalpel, dissecting his last facade of toughness and reaching his most vulnerable point!
His feelings for his followers.
While he was driven by ambition and hatred in forming the Zionist Church, it is undeniable that the refugees and outlaws who struggled at the bottom of society and were willing to follow him were the family he gradually gathered together.
He may have used them, but deep down, he didn't really want them to die with him.
Xiao Ce did not use torture or coercion; he simply stated a fact calmly.
He had the lifeline of his followers in his hands.
If they choose to cooperate, the followers may have a way to survive; if they choose to resist, they will only follow their failed leader into an abyss of no return.
This is more effective than any form of torture.
Furthermore, with Scarface's personality, using torture on him simply won't work...
His lips trembled violently, and the hideous scar stood out starkly in the pale light.
He looked into Xiao Ce's deep, calm eyes, which seemed to see through everything, and then thought about the other's incredible skills and his ability to control the entire Dragon Guardian Ghost City with ease...
An unprecedented sense of powerlessness and fear, originating from the depths of his soul, completely overwhelmed him.
Everything he was so proud of seemed as ridiculous as a child's sandcastle in front of this man.
Resist? What's the point? It would only drag those brothers who see him as their leader down with them.
surrender?
Bow down to this "false god" whom he once cursed day and night and wished he could eat his flesh and sleep on his skin?
A profound sense of humiliation gnawed at his heart...
He clenched his teeth so tightly that blood seeped from his gums, and a salty, fishy taste filled his mouth.
He lowered his head, unable to look Xiao Ce in the eye, a trapped beast's whimper escaping his throat, his body trembling violently, as if waging a silent and brutal war...
Time ticked by, second by second...
Sweat mixed with a liquid that was hard to tell whether it was blood or tears slid down his contorted face, dripping onto the equally cold floor and spreading out a small dark stain.
Xiao Ce did not urge him, but stood quietly, his gaze like a frozen lake, showing neither urging nor coercion, only absolute calmness that indicated complete control.
He knew that once the psychological dam began to collapse, the eventual breach was only a matter of time.
He was waiting, waiting for the last vestige of Scar Wolf's vain pride and illusions about God to be completely crushed by cruel reality.
Then, Xiao Ce continued, "You probably haven't seen God, have you... Do you really believe in the existence of this so-called God?"
"You say I'm a false god, but you've seen how I treat my people and my followers..."
"And what has your so-called God done for you, and what sacrifices have you made?"
Xiao Ce's words struck Scarface squarely at the heart...
Night Owl stood behind Xiao Ce.
He felt the extremely oppressive atmosphere in the cell and watched Scar Wolf struggle like a dying beast. His awe of the prince's methods grew even stronger.
There is nothing more heart-breaking than killing someone.
The prince didn't even need to lift a finger; he brought this once infamous leader of the Restoration Church to the brink of collapse.
Finally, Scar Wolf's body stopped trembling violently.
He slowly and with great difficulty raised his head. The fierceness and arrogance on his bloodshot and sweaty face receded like the tide, leaving only a deep-seated weariness and an almost numb despair.
He opened his mouth, his chapped lips moving as if he wanted to say something, but no sound came out.
Xiao Ce remained silent, looking at him without the slightest change in his expression.
Scarface's gaze finally settled on Xiao Ce's spotless boots, as if those boots bore an unbearable weight. He strained with all his might to squeeze out a few broken, hoarse words from deep within his throat:
"No...don't hurt them...please...I'll do whatever you say..."
These words exhausted all his strength and completely drained the last bit of arrogance he had as the "Scarface Cult Leader".
He slumped to the ground like a punctured balloon, his eyes staring blankly at the pale light from the ceiling, only his chest still heaving weakly.
In the cell, only Scar Wolf's heavy, desperate breathing remained; this exhaustion stemmed from the collapse of his faith...
The fervent shouts of "Long live the cult leader!" that once resounded throughout the Ghost City of Dragon Guard now seem so distant and ironic.
Looking at the completely devastated Scarface, a barely perceptible look of understanding finally flashed in Xiao Ce's eyes.
He slowly straightened up and instructed the night owl:
"Watch over him. Give him water and food, and let him rest."
“Yes, Your Highness!” Night Cat replied immediately.
Xiao Ce didn't look at Scar Wolf, who was lying on the ground like a puddle of mud, and turned around, walking steadily out of the cell.
Night Owl followed closely behind, his complex gaze sweeping over the gate. He knew that at this moment, the backbone of the Restoration Church had been completely crushed by the prince.
The next step is to extract the last bit of value about the mysterious "God" from this soulless body.
Scarface lay on the cold floor, his empty eyes staring at the unchanging, pale light, the echoes of thousands of cult members' fanatical shouts of "Long live the leader!" seemingly still reverberating in his ears...
His breakdown wasn't just because he thought God was bad; what broke him the most was that he actually thought Xiao Ce was right.
He even began to see flashbacks of many of the things Xiao Ce had done.
And what they do.
The more images there are, the more it proves that he is wrong and Xiao Ce is right...
It's more of a self-doubt...
Night Cat then said to Xiao Ce, "Your Highness, why are you wasting so much time talking to that person... You've already taken his place, you can pretend to be that Scarface Wolf... You can just find an excuse to disband that group..."
Xiao Ce said, "That's different... If these people can be reformed, then they will become our sharpest weapon..."
Night Cat looked at Xiao Ce and a sly smile appeared on his face: "So, Your Highness, what should I do next?"
Xiao Ce said to Night Cat, "Don't do anything... wait for him to come to you... if he wants to leave, just let him out..."
Night Owl nodded, and then Xiao Ce took out a letter that he had prepared beforehand.
"Give him this letter before you leave..."
Night Owl naturally trusted Xiao Ce unconditionally.
Night had fallen, and the lights of Kyoto's countless homes gradually went out, leaving only the clear echoes of the night watchman's clapper in the empty streets. Deep within the headquarters of the Dark Guard, Xiao Ce finished instructing Night Cat on matters concerning Scarface, and then, like a wisp of smoke blending into the night, silently departed the headquarters.
He went directly to Presidential Palace, owned by Yin Weiyong.
Once outside, the guards at the door saw Xiao Ce and immediately led him inside.
This information was provided by Yin Weiyong: as long as Xiao Ce came, he could be allowed to enter without being informed.
After entering, Xiao Ce walked directly to Yin Weiyong's study, as if he knew the way well.
A knock on the door of emotions.
Yin Weiyong heard the knocking and was initially surprised. When he opened the door and saw Xiao Ce, his face lit up with astonishment...
"Your Highness!" Yin Weiyong quickly stepped aside, his voice hoarse with urgency.
"You're back! This old minister... This old minister has been worried about the matter of the Dragon Guard Ghost City and was just about to send someone to the secret guards to investigate... Please come in!"
Xiao Ce smiled and nodded, then looked at Yin Weiyong and said, "Father-in-law, there's no one around... so there's no need for such formalities."
Although Yin Weiyong nodded, he still spoke politely to Xiao Ce, "Your Highness is too kind! Your safe return is a blessing to the empire, and a great weight has been lifted from my heart. I wonder... how is the situation at the Dragon Guard Ghost City?" His gaze was fixed on Xiao Ce's face, filled with inquiry and tension.
Xiao Ce took the teacup but did not drink it immediately, feeling the warmth emanating from the cup with his fingertips. He walked to the window, gazing at the swaying bamboo shadows in the courtyard outside, and slowly began to recount his journey to the Dragon Guard Ghost City in an extremely concise and almost straightforward manner.
Did he omit most of the thrilling details, such as how he impersonated Scarface, how he dealt with the cyborg Lord, and how he staged that earth-shattering reversal in front of thousands of fanatics?
The focus is on the outcome: the core of the Restoration Church was dismantled, and its leader, Scar Wolf, was secretly imprisoned; the so-called "Lord," a half-human, half-machine modified monster, was captured alive and sent to Rock Harbor for in-depth analysis by Director Mi.
Most importantly, the massive amount of explosives scattered throughout the ghost city's lair, enough to reduce the entire Hulong New City to dust, has been completely dismantled, moved, and sealed by Wang Shui and his men, eliminating all potential threats.
As for the remaining followers of the Restoration Church, he has temporarily appeased them, kept them in place, and handed them over to Wang Shui for management, pending further action.
Even though Yin Weiyong had experienced so much, navigating the ups and downs of officialdom for decades and weathering countless storms...